Bacterial adherence to extracellular matrix proteins (ECMp) plays important roles during host-pathogen interaction, however its genetic regulation remains poorly understood. yloA of the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis shows high homology to genes encoding fibronectin-binding proteins of Gram-positive pathogens. Here, we characterized the regulatory network of YloA-dependent adhesive properties of the probiotic B. subtilis natto (Bsn). YloA-proficient, but not YloA-deficient, Bsn specifically bound to ECMp in a concentration-dependent manner and were proficient in biofilm formation. yloA expression showed a continuous increase in activity during the growth phase and decreased during the stationary phase. The transcription factors AbrB and DegU downregulated yloA expression during the logarithmic and stationary growth phases respectively. Analysis of the yloA promoter region revealed the presence of AT-rich direct and inverted repeats previously reported to function as DegU-recognized binding sites. In spo0A cells, yloA expression was completely turned off because of upregulation of AbrB throughout growth. Accordingly, DNase I footprinting analysis confirmed that AbrB bound to the promoter region of yloA. Interestingly, Bsn bound fibronectin with higher affinity, lower Kd, than several bacterial pathogens and competitively excluded them from binding to immobilized-fibronectin, a finding that might be important for the anti-infective properties of B. subtilis and its relatives.
NADP-specific malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) has been purified about 160-fold from the moderate halophile Vibrio costicola. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 120,000. The purified enzyme was unstable in dilute solutions but could be stabilised by NaCl or glycerol. NH4Cl or KCI caused maximal activation at 0.1M, but higher concentrations were inhibitory. NaCl did not activate and was instead a mixed-type inhibitor towards NH4Cl or KCI. The salt concentration affected the kinetic parameters of the reaction. The apparent Km for L-malate reached a minimal value at about 0.1 M salt; the value for NADP, on the other hand, increased continuosly with the Co2+ or Mg2+. NADH was a mixed-type inhibitor towards both substrates, whereas oxaloacetate was strictly competitive towards L-malate and non-competitive towards NADP. The inhibition kinetics were sigmoidal for NADH and hyperbolic for oxaloacetate. The malic enzyme form V. costicola was similar to those of a marine Pseudomonas and Halobacterium cutirubrum in kinetic and regulatory properties but showed a response to salts intermediate between those of the latter enzymes.
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was purified to homogeneity from the moderately halophilic bacterium Vibrio costicola. The enzyme is monomeric, with an Mr of 62,000, as determined by the Svedberg equation, by using values of s0(20,w) 4.4 x 10(-13) s, D20,w 6.13 x 10(-7) cm2.s-1 and v 0.719 cm3.g-1. Compared with other, non-halophilic, PEPCKs, the enzyme from V. costicola had a significantly lower total content of hydrophobic amino acids. The contents of glycine and serine were higher in the V. costicola enzyme (16.7 and 10.22% respectively) than in the non-halophilic PEPCKs (6.8-9.6% and 4.67-6.28% respectively). These results resemble those obtained by De Médicis & Rossignol [(1979) Experientia 35, 1546-1547] with the pyruvate kinase from V. costicola, and agree with the proposal by Lanyi [(1974) Bacteriol. Rev. 38, 272-290] of partial replacement of hydrophobic amino acids by glycine and serine to maintain the balance between hydrophobic and hydrophilic forces in halophilic enzymes. In agreement with this 'halophilic' characteristic, the PEPCK was somewhat stabilized by 1 M-KCl or -NaCl and by 20% (v/v) glycerol, and its oxaloacetate-decarboxylation and 14CO2-oxaloacetate-exchange reactions were activated by KCl and NaCl up to 1 M, whereas the fixation of CO2 on PEP had a maximum at 0.025-0.05 M salt. These facts suggest that the salts, at concentrations probably physiological for the bacterium, increase the formation of the complex of oxaloacetate and ATP with the enzyme, and the liberation of the products, PEP and ADP, thus favouring PEP synthesis.
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